Raksha Bandhan Mantra

Today is Raksha Bandhan. It falls on the first full-moon day of Shravan mas. Did you know that in many parts of India, a mantra is recited by the sister when tying the raksha onto her brother? Is this a tradition which we have forgotton whilst living in the western world?

Balbandhu BalRaja,

Rakshe rakse yamraja,

traNaso Ne SAtha DivasNA AshirvAd

In essence, the mantra is blessing the brother, and the sister is saying that she will bless him again after a year. So strong are the blessing of the sister, that they last a year!

There is another mantra, which when translated, means “I am tying a Raksha to you, similar to the one tied to Bali, the powerful king of the demons. Oh Raksha, be firm, do not waver.”

Yena baddho Balee raajaa daanavendro mahaabalah
Tena twaam anubadhnaami rakshe maa chala maa chala

The mantra recalls how the demon king Bali had become powerful with the Rakhi on. The power of the mantra is supposed to protect the wearer from evil influences. This shows how dependent and secure a sister feels when she has a brother. Tying this rakhi or raksha signifies the re-strengthening of the bond between the siblings of opposite sexes. How this simple, annually recurring act of tying the rakhi on one’s wrist can evoke such strong and intense emotions in a person is indeed surprising. It seems almost like an unspoken pledge, exchanged between a brother and a sister cementing their fraternal relationship and reinforcing their protective bond against all ills and odds.

Raksha Bandhan Legends

Legend goes that once Indra, the Pauranic King of the Heavens, while warring with the Daitya-Raaja (demon king) was confronted with reverses. Humbled, he sought the advice of Brihaspati, the Guru. On the auspicious occasion of Shravan Poornima, both Shachee Devi or Indrani, the consort of Indra and Brihaspati, the Guru of the Gods, tied silken amulets popularly known as Raksha on Indra's wrist. Subsequently, Indra vanquished the Daitya-Raaja and reestablished sovereignty over his celestial abode.

It is said that at one time, Alexander's wife approached the mighty Hindu adversary, Pururaja, and sought assurance of her husband's life by tying the Rakhi on Pururaja's hand. The story goes that just as Pururaja raised his hand to deliver a mortal blow to Alexander, he saw the Raksha and refrained from striking.

In yet another poignant instance, a Rajput princess sent a Rakhi to the Mughal Emperor Humayun, enlisting his support against the onslaught of the Gujarat Sultan. Though engaged elsewhere, Humayun hastened to the rescue of his Rakhi sister but to his bitter disappointment found that the kingdom had been seized and the princess had committed "jauhar" to save her honor.

Raksha Bandhan in the Millenium!

Finally, I'd like to share the following picture with you:

Click on the picture to see the full-size.

Spiritual Vibrations

Do you believe in spiriual vibrations? Not sure what it is, or could be? Let me explain...

Your prayers are spiritual vibrations. You have a room, and you have your Hanuman Chalisa or other prayer continously playing 24/7. That prathana is creating spiritual vibrations. Your prathana may be playing in your bedroom whilst you sleep. When you just wake up at night, you will hear the faint sound of that prayer. It will be like a continous chant - "Saanson ki mala pe simrun main Sita Ram". Now, after a while (say, one week), if you go to sleep elsewhere, or your prathna is not playing, when you wake up, you will hear your prathna. Amazing huh?

Still not convinced that there is such a thing as spiritual vibrations? Hmm... OK, next time you see a sea-shell, hold it up to your ear, and listen to the ocean. Need I say more? Maybe you need to try it. Go on, what do you have to lose?

Have I tried it? For sure! My Hanuman Chalisa is playing right now, 24/5 at work, 24/7 at home, and for etertinity in my heart.

Making a Difference

Do you ever wonder why certain things happen in your life? I do. I try and look at things from a higher level, and question. The past - the good and bad times, they are lessons of life which you cannot find in any text book, because these are your lessons. You will see that there was a lesson to be learnt. Maybe that person made a difference in your life, or maybe you made a difference in their life. But, as long as you come out of it as a better person, that is what is important. I know for sure, that by doing what I am with these postings, I'm certainly making a difference in other people's lives. Because, I can. I'd like to share the story below with you:

Once upon a time there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a little human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think of someone who would dance to the day. So he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a little girl and the little girl wasn't dancing, but instead she was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The little girl paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean." "I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?" "The sun is up and the tide is going out. And if I don't throw them in they'll die." "But, little girl, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!"

The little girl listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said - "It made a difference for that one."

What are you doing to make a difference in someone's life?

A Spiritual Journey or a Human Journey?

I came across the following quote, and I thought "WOW" - I never thought of this life I am leading in with such a perspective! Certainly turns the tables around!

We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.

We are spiritual beings on a human journey.
~ Dr. Stephen Covey - Writer and Motivational speaker

The atma is not defined as being human. Every living being has an atma. Why think that only humans have an atma? There are many skeptics who cannot understand as to why the human population is growing so much, and yet there the atma which is an entity within itself is constant. Well, have you ever considered as to why the animal population is decreasing? Why some animals are becoming extinct? Where is their atma going? Interesting isn't it? :)

You are not a single entity.

You are, in fact, three-in-one:
The one you think you are is just a body

The one others think you are is just in your mind

but really

The one you really are is the atma

If you believe that we have an atma. If you believe that the atma resided in another body in a previous life. If you believe that the atma within you will continue in another life, in another form - then you are on a spiritual journey!

Bhakti or Shakti - the choice is yours.

I had a conversation with a friend this evening. We came onto the discussion of strengths and weaknesses, and how due to life events, we tend to wrap ourselves up in cotton wool, for fear of being hurt. But - in doing so, are we not depriving ourselves of the joys you may be able to achieve? We've all been in situations where we have held our strenght, but in reality, our strenght becomes our weakenss. Hence, the short prose written below:

What do you choose?

Bhakti or Shakti?
Stength or weakness?
Heart or mind?

Bhakti is that divine love.
Shakti is strength.
Can Shakti exist without Bhakti?
Can Bhakti exist without Shakti?

Shakti is strength.
Or is it really?
Look carefully, because your Shakti may be your weakness.
If this is the case, then is there a weakness in your Bhakti?

The atma is the heart.
The mind is the tool which God has given us to make decisions with.
Do you listen to you heart?
Or do you listen to your mind?
For the atma is that from the Parmatama.

Bhakti or Shakti?
Stength or weakness?
Heart or mind?

What do you choose?

First Responses

Its been 30 minutes since I sent my first email out! Thanks to everyone who has sent me their best wishes, and congratulatory comments. I would just like to share a reply I sent to a friend:

"There is only so much one person can do".

Take out the word "only"and you get

"There is so much one person can do."

(Dipa, August 15 2005).

The word only can be defined as being "without anyone or anything else", "alone". So, my question is, are all really alone? Well, the answer is yes and no. And, I shall discuss this later!

One person can make a difference. We all need to act as a stimulus. Maybe a response from you directly to my email or a posted comment will trigger some wonderful thoughts or questions, not only for myself, but yourself and others. You can make a difference too!

Independence Day

Today is the day - 15th August, where in 1947 India gained Independence from the British. India formally gained independence on this day after centuries of British rule - and years of bloody turmoil - and today continues to mark the day with somber speeches, colorful parades and celebrations... not only in India, but in countires across the world.

What will you do to be proactive and help your country? Do you see India as your country? What does India's Independence really mean to you? I questioned these myself whilst walking to work this morning. I was born in East Africa, raised and educated in England, and have recently moved to the USA to work as what is defined as an "Alien". Although I have emailed Independence day greetings to my friends, I wonder whether like myself, there are many others who really know what the day means for Indians and NRIs across the world.

For me - India is the land of my Dharma. Where my Lord Rama lived. Where Sita had to take her agni-pariksha Where on the rurn-bhoomi Kurushetra the Mahabharata took place. Where my Hanumanji is still residing somewhere. Where the sants and sadhus who's kathas I listen to with such greed and hunger - all reside. And much much more! That is my India - my spiritual place. And I know, that although I have not lived there, I have lived there before.

Independence day - become independent from not only society, but attachments. See the light, and go towards it. That, is when you can truly celebrate Independence Day! HARIBOL !

Education, Society & Fasting!

Nowadays, many educated people do not observe fasting on sacred days. This is due to the impact of the dark, vicious, materialistic forces. When the intellect develops a little, people begin to enter into arguments and unnecessary discussions. Intellect is a hindrance on the spiritual path. They who have not developed the heart but who have developed their intellect begin to doubt and question at everystep. They are led astray. They want a "why" and a "how" for everything. They want "scientific" explanations for all phenomena. Bhagwan is beyond proofs and presumptions. One has to approach religion and the scriptures with great faith, reverence and purity of heart. Then only are the secrets of religion revealed unto him like the apple in the palm of one's hand. Does anybody ask his mother to prove who is his father? Fasting will not tie you down or constrain you - try it and you will find it quite liberating.

Fasting controls passion. It checks the emotions. It controls the senses also. It is a great penance. It purifies the mind and the heart. It destroys a multitude of sins. Fasting controls the tongue in particular which is the deadliest enemy of man. Fasting overhauls the respiratory, circulatory, digestive and urinary systems. It destroys all the impurities of the body and all sorts of poisons. It eliminates uric acid deposits. Just as impure gold is rendered pure by melting it in the crucible again and again, so also this impure mind is renderedpurer by repeated fasting.

But, what we must not forget, is that fasting is not about torturing yourself! If you believe that by starving yourself your fast is far more superior than that person which is fasting and eating a banana to sustain themselves, then you are wrong! Our bodies are a temple. Our atma is that from the Parmatama. We would not desicrate a temple and strip it of its beauty. We would try and beautify it, purify it, for our Bhagwan lives within it. So, don't torture your temple which is your body. Listen to it, adapt to its needs for sustenance. In time, you will have the willpower to fast as the rishis did in our earlier yugas.

I had already emailed the full article to a friend of mine - who I am proud to say has started fasting, and keeps telling me how much better he feels. Its all about self disclipline. I fast regular on a Saturday in the name of my Pavansuta Hanumanji, and also each Ekadashi. I so look forward to these days - if you spoke to me on a Friday or the day before Ekadashi as to what I was doing the following day - you'll see nothing but a smile on my face, my eyes shining, and with pride I will tell you that I will be fasting. If my email changed one person's view's on this, will it change yours too?

The Good Times and Bad Times

My dear sister passed away just over 5 weeks ago. She had cancer. She was diagnosed in late October 2004. She fought this illness for less than 9 months. Today, I heard that my friend's father passed away. He had cancer too. Simple words cannot express the grief I felt for them, and neither did I have the courage or strength to talk to them. My emotions got the better of me, which came flooding back like a storm on a calm night. One thing I learnt recently from Rameshbhai Oza's recent katha pravachan in Birmingham, UK is that if I am unable to console myself, how will I console someone else?

My reason for writing this - don't keep focusing on the last few months of the loved one's life! They had more in their life than the illness they went through! Focus on the happier times.

This message is not only for those who have lost a loved one through death, but also those people who have had a falling out for whatever reason. Think about those people who you may have lost touch with, had a falling out. Try and remember the good times. Don't get stuck in a rut and keep focusing on the bad times you may have had. If you focus on the bad times, all that is happening is that you are not forgiving. If you do not forgive, you are not letting go. If you do not let go, you will not move forward. If you cannot move forward, you will not be able to accept the valuable lessons learnt. Just be thankful for the experience and lesson(s) you have learnt. I truly believe that things happen for a reason. If you are spiritually focused, you will come to see and understand this.

"We are all merely pawns in each others lives within this magnificent and wonderful game of chess played by God."
(Dipa, August 14 2005)